It was the day for the Springtime Familiar Summoning, the sacred ceremony that will mark the future of young mages and their noble lives since times of the Founder Brimir.
Multiple magic academies around Halkeginia are celebrating this ancient ritual, whether for first or second year students.
Third wouldn't be possible because the ritual actually influences the school curriculum: the familiar will usually be affiliated with one of the four elements, the one the summoner has more affinity with, which of course said student will primarily take subjects about that element in particular, not counting optional ones like potion making or cooking.
Obviously, deciding everything at the last year of studies is a signal of poor academic sense.
And speaking of summonings and poor academics, our (probably very overused but still entertaining) story begins at one of the most important institutions of the continent, the Tristanian Academy of Magic, which is one of the few reasons the kingdom of Tristain still remains a decent power in international politics, which is another story for another time.
Ehem, right now, our main focus is in a certain student, Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière.
But that is a bit of a mouthful, so let's stick to Louise de La Vallière. The Vallière family is a distinguished noble family, said to have close blood ties to the royal family, and charged to protect the country, duty that the duchess, Karin Désirée de La Vallière was more than happy to oblige.
*shivers*
Yes, she's that badass.
Well, Louise, the third daughter of the current generation of the Vallière, tries her damnedest best in being a mage and noble worthy of her family's position.
There's only one little problem: she explodes.
…
No, seriously. Her magic literally explodes. Every. Single. Time.
It got so bad that she cannot properly cast any kind of spell. The only one successful so far was Fireball, and there's no difference between it and the results of her failed incantations.
In fact, at the academy, they call her Louise the Zero, for her 0% success rate, shortening her temper as a result and now emotionally exploding apart from magically.
Since puberty, one of her sore points was to remind her of her shortcomings, short temper, short stature, lack of *ehem* chest and complete failure in magic, which adds more fire to her already mentioned explosive temper.
All of that supports my theory that she's a walking ticking bomb.
Don't let her know that I said that.
However, it's probable that today, in the summoning ritual, things will change.
After all, she wished for a powerful and beautiful familiar, if possible.
Will she manifest a cute dere dere side or continue being the explosive tsun tsun? But I assure that this combination will be very volatile.
After all, what can come from a delinquent-like multi-aeon-old dragon god of gravity and antimatter?
Renegade of Zero
Louise was nervous, more nervous than normal, that is.
While she was able to advance to second year due to impressive grades about magic theory, the Springdale Summoning Ritual, will, obviously, involve the casting of the spell.
With her crappy magic ability, the results would vary: A)it happens nothing; B) it explodes; C)the familiar she summons is weak or useless; C)the familiar dies from whatever possible malformation in the transporting procedure and it dies or D) the familiar itself explodes, independently of the state it ends up in.
Yeah, she was quite defeatist with that.
But she cannot afford to fail now! Her permanency in the academy and her family's honor are at stake!
Besides, there's still the possibility that her familiar would be superior to Kirche's (and probably all the school).
And most important of all, if this one goes well, she won't be always considered a Zero…
-Some summonings later…-
There's NO way she could completely compete with THESE.
Granted, a lot of people summoned normal animals like crows, dogs, cats, frogs,moles, bats … alongside some exotic ones like golems, beholders and giant snakes.
Though much for our explosive pinkette, her rival/sitcom arch nemesis has summoned a salamander, a decently powerful and rare Fire familiar. Grrrr!
Besides, big breasted redheads are overrated this days, hah!
However, that pales in comparison with Tabitha, Kirche's stoic friend, who summoned a Founder damned dragon!
She knew that the bluenette was powerful but still...
"Is that everyone?" A bald middle-aged man with glasses and a staff, professor Colbert, called, not seeing Louise suspiciously standing in the back of all the amount of students and searching for a way to sneak out…
"There is still Louise, Mr. Colbert." Damned Zerbst! May your boobs deflate and never be big again!
"Wait the Zero?" "Oh man, this won't end well." "Bet she will blow up her familiar!" "Yeah, she has Zero possibilities to make it work."
"Zero! Zero!"
"Louise the Zero!"
With all those words, the little bomber's temper was about to explode of outrage! They want an explosion? Fine! They will have it alongside a familiar that would make them respect her!
"I, Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière, will summon a powerful familiar, able to take on dragons, even the strongest of them! My familiar will be wise, so that it will be able to protect and assist me until the end of my days. And it will also be beautiful, so that its strength and intelligence take on a dignified form. And it will be living proof that I will no longer be known as the Zero, nevermore!"
Everyone then shut up in response to that boast. They knew how Louise was all bark and no bite, but no one was expecting that determination from her. That she would succeed, no, that she would surpass them.
"Then, if you will." Colbert, the only one who treated all the subject from a neutral point of view, gestured her to the ritual circle drawn for this year's summoning. At least, he's one of the few people that didn't doubt her. As a teacher, he must see the strong points of his students and help them with their weak ones. Louise was brilliant in the theories of magic, if not for talent, then with sheer effort and will. Granted, her practical spellcasting was less than stellar, but he believes that one day, she will be able to cast magic proficiently.
If not, well… maybe he could talk with the headmaster or her parents to recommend her to a career of magic researcher and take her as assistant. Founder and God know how difficult is to search for competent academics nowadays. While certain advances have been made recently, like with gunpowder, it seemed like research in itself was being stagnated, magic specially. Maybe if the Church had less of a hand in politics and general advancement, he and more scholars could have more opportunities to use their studies for the betterment of the people, no matter if they were nobles or commoners! There was so much to learn and potential to discover!
And maybe, he could forgive himself for his past sins…
Louise nodded. Rule of Steel hardening her mind, only letting out pure determination.
Once near the circle, she breathed in and out, calming out her nerves. This was it then. One of the moments she was waiting for in all her life, she must do it well, no, perfect. And she chanted, chanted with all her hopes and will.
My servant that exists in this vast universe,
My divine, beautiful, wise and powerful servant,
Please,
Heed my call,
I wish from the very bottom of my heart,
And add to my guidance and appear!
…
…
Some more … later.
"Knew it." "It seems Zero will continue to be Zero." "At least there isn't an explosion…"
The mocking voices returned, alongside some relieved ones.
However, Louise didn't hear them, too focused on her own apparent failure 'No… I… failed?"
For her, that was her last opportunity to at least do something right, to not ridicule herself and the name of her family 'How can I tell that to my family? Especially mother?'
Suddenly, before more mockery and self-pity were to continue, a giant explosion happened in the middle of the courtyard.
...
She did it.
She did it!
She created a delayed magical explosion!
… Okay, that joke went a little too far.
The resultant smoke eventually gave way to an interesting sight: it was a human girl, around the same age as the students present. She had short messy grey hair that ended up dirty blond. Her clothing consists of some sort of striped red and black shirt. Even if it covered her entire torso, sans the head and arms, it couldn't hide her healthily developed *ehem* assets. She also wore a grey-leathery jacket without sleeves, with short pants of the same material. The only thing that kept her legs from showing were leggins with the same design as her shirt and grey boots with a golden bits of metal in the tips and low heels. She also had golden rings in her arms serving as armlets with golden and grey spikes sprouting from them.
… oh, and she was sprawled on the ground and seemingly unconscious.
And just before any had the brilliant idea to poke her with a stick to see if she's dead or not, she gave her answer by groaning and slowly and painfully trying to stand up, letting everyone know that she had crimson, if unfocused, eyes.
In the middle of all the confusion, Colbert was the first one to recover his wits, and recognize the situation, even if it was somewhat different.
"Miss Valière, you must complete the ritual."
"Huh?" Louise idiotically blinked, until she also arrived to the same conclusion seconds later "HUH?!"
"Wow, so Louise summoned a commoner…" "Even if it somehow succeeded, she still flunked it." "That's the Zero for you." "Would have went without exploding, though."
Aaand the mocking gossip returned. Louise cheeks reddened. That wasn't supposed to happen!
However, no one took attention of the other familiars oddly observing the newcomer, some in reverence, others with caution, the rest, with no idea what the heck that human-looking thing was supposed to be. The blue dragon tilted its, sorry, her head curiously.
'Dragon?' she thought. Well, that narrows down the possibilities.
"Mister Colbert!" Louise shouted "Please, allow me to repeat the summoning!"
"That's not possible" Colbert negated "The Summoning Ritual was designed by Founder Brimir in order to bring the familiar most attuned to the mage. In all the documented happenings of summonings and stories related to familiars, there wasn't a single familiar who was incompatible with its master, even those of personalities completely radical to each other were shown to form a nearly unbreakable duo. So not only the ceremony is sacred, it chose her" he gestured to the struggling girl "to be your partner. Granted, while there was never a human summoning, I suspect the Founder allowed it to happen."
Louise deflated at that. So, there was the possibility that it was Brimir's will to bring her a commoner as a familiar, not a fatal error on her part.
That doesn't make it better.
"Wait," she said, thinking about another of the inconveniences "Commoner or not, she's still a girl!" her face reddened.
"The sealing kiss doesn't necessarily have to be in her lips, you know." Colbert sighed. Though he wouldn't judge her if she had those inclinations. Homosexuality has been accepted some decades ago in Halkeginia. Though it obviously caused some tensions among noble houses, most of them allowed it happen as long as they were to encounter another man or woman in order to bear descendants.
Louise breathed in. She now accepted, no, she was resigned to have a commoner as her supposed familiar. Better do it now before changing her mind and facing expulsion.
"You better be grateful..." she grumbled, going towards the strange girl, who managed to stand up though with her hands on her knees, breathing heavily "... for not everyone can receive a honor such as this."
She held up her wand "By the name of Louisen Francoise Le Blanc de La Vallière. Pentagon of the Five Elements, bless this humble being and make her my familiar."
After saying that, she kissed one of the cheeks of the platinum-blonde teen, much to the latter's even more preexistent confusion. Then, the supposed commoner's right hand began to glow, familiar runes physically and magically infusing into her body and being. Obviously, she cried of pain, but was so much exhausted, physically and mentally, that she went down again to the ground, squirming from the burning sensation in her arm. Shortly, she again fainted.
Louise was about to enter into a panic, when Colbert approached the unconscious girl and checked her vitals "It seems she's just exhausted." He used a levitation spell to make her float in the air "Nevertheless, I'll bring her to the infirmary for a more proper check out. Everyone, go to your classes." He then talked to Louise "Miss Valiere, I'll let you know when she's recovered."
And then, everyone used a flying spell to go to their respective destinations. Well, except Louise, obviously.
She sighed "What did I do to deserve a pathetic and weak commoner as a familiar?"
Oh, Louise, if you could read what was written just before this scene, you wouldn't think that.
AN: Louise has caught a wild Giratina!
Don't worry, our dragon girl was just burned out from her transformation, she will become better after recovering.
As for my Rising of the Shield Hero multicrossover, gotta admit that my cast there wasn't the only one that I thought of. In order to compel people to write even more chaotic and awesome Rising of the Shield Hero crossovers, here's a list of the options I had thought of:
Option 1
Sword: Raiden (Metal Gear Rising)
Shield: Commander Shepard (Mass Effect)
Bow: Shirou Emiya (Fate series)
Spear: Female Protagonist (Persona 3 Portable)
Option 2
Sword: Neptune (Neptunia series)
Shield: Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece)
Bow: Quiet (Metal Gear Solid V)
Spear: Cu Chulainn (Fate series)
Option 3
Sword: Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher)
Shield: Yasutora "Chad" Sado (Bleach)
Bow: Super Orion (Fate series)
Spear: Vert (Neptunia series)
Well, that's everything for today.
Happy Christmas!